Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all my friends and their families!

Bonnie

Trying to Wrap Up Christmas!

Why is it I can't stop making cookies and crafts at Christmas?  The floors are clean, the presents 98% wrapped, the decorating is what it will be and I'm dragging out the flour and glitter.  What???

So I will make one more cookie - Raspberry Jammers - all butter and raspberry jam and a little flour and sugar - as soon as the butter softens a bit.

The ends have no calories
 and we eat them quick so we don't gain any weight!

Then I'm ready to make some more Snowmen so while the cookies are baking, I will make Snowmen heads and begin the process of making a flock of Snowmen!!!  I sold and gave away the ones I made for our sale in November.  I don't have one and I want one or two or more!!!

I've been collecting the salt and pepper shakers and other jars to make more so I thought I needed to increase my stress level.  I guess I need the extra stress to feel like Christmas is coming!!!

They need their glitter and fancy little scarves, etc.
 but they already have a certain personality with their hats and faces.

On the other side of things, Norma Jean is oblivious to all the festivities.  She is so relaxed she might fall right off the back of the couch!

Not a care in the world!

Glittering tomorrow!

Bonnie

Merry Christmas to Me!!!

I'm an embroidery fanatic!  Forever I have been doing all kinds of embroidery - now I enjoy redwork because I'm lazy and I just have to use red thread.

I embroidered this little snowman and created a pillow-type
sleeve to fit over a plastic free standing picture frame!

Well - I just won two gifts from Pat at Bird Nest on the Ground!  Pat is such a talented and creative quilter and embroiderer and beader!  She gave away gifts to two followers of her blog.  I won the Somerset Holiday Magazine and one of her "Heart" pincushions.  This is a first for me so I'm so excited!!!  And on top of that, the magazine (actually more of a book!) and the pincushion (so special because Pat created it) are two of my favorite things!  Thank you, Pat!  Click on the link and visit her blog to see her Christmas Crazy Quilt - it is gorgeous!

I haven't done crewel embroidery for 35 years so I have to show you two examples of what I used to do on a regular basis.

I completed this kit back in the 70's -
I learned so many stitches!!!

I must have been into jungle animals but I love his majestic look!
  Lots of couching in his mane!

Today we are getting a touch of snow - it looks a little more like Christmas around here now.  I think it will stay until Saturday when my family is coming to celebrate someone's birthday!!!  Happy Birthday, Jesus!

We could use a few more flakes
 but just enough to cover the brown grass!

Merry Christmas!

Bonnie

Decorating the Outside!

Today seemed like a good day to finish decorating so I put on my winter coat and braved the cold winds! 

We have Juniper, Spruce, Colorado Blue Spruce, Norway Pine, White Pine, Jack Pine, and Arborvitae in our yard.  So I began my pruning adventure and lopped off lower branches where I could and thinned the others like the Spruce where I could just take a piece of a layer. 

I just gathered my favorites and started arranging in my window boxes and wheelbarrows.  I still had a small stash of winterberries from our Christmas sale - I love the little touch of red!



Our little Christmas doggie in the window!



Love the old bird houses...sometimes a bird will come
 and visit but won't move in!



Even gargoyles like the decorations!



Our Christmas goose nests in one of my old wheelbarrows!



I wonder how long before our little guy is covered in snow???

Now I feel better - I almost ran out of time to get this project done.  No snow in the forecast so my family will be able to see my little outside vignettes on Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas to all!

Bonnie

Decorating My Pets!

I'm not sure why it is but decorating my pets for Christmas is so much fun!  What with the tree decorating, shopping and baking, this part of the holidays is just so funny.  Every year I dig out the reindeer antlers and the little Santa hat and try to pose the animals in their finery.

I used to get so crazy about getting a good photo to perhaps use in a Christmas letter and ended up so frustrated.  The camera just doesn't click fast enough so I have hundreds of shots of the sides of their heads or their backsides jumping down off my lap.

Here is Honey looking (with her one eye)
 so festive and so excitedly happy!  She is so cute!

Another pose of Santa's other Reindeer
 - such a happy puppy!!!

Norma Jean coming to Honey's rescue...
she heard the laughing and couldn't stay away!

So now its Norma's turn, I get the hat close to her so she can
 investigate and somehow she gets it hooked on her paw
 and away she ran with the hat trailing behind her!!!
  Oh - I could hardly breathe I was laughing so hard.

For some reason she doesn't trust me
 - check out her spooky eyes!!!

I'm always the winner because I do not give up!
  Isn't she so cute...I think she's saying a few things under her breath.   

They always forgive me and forget the next Christmas that I will win - I will laugh and they will show up on Facebook and many other places in their Christmas hats!

Take care,
Bonnie

My Granny Cupboard!

Many years ago, my friend, Raeann, gave me a step back or Granny cupboard.  I might have told you already but my dining room is a room of cupboards.

My Mom's cupboard is a Early American maple hutch - filled to overflowing with treasures.  After my Mom's death, I decided I needed this piece of furniture that meant so much to her.  Now its filled with my art pottery, linens, her glassware and fancy pieces.

My doll hutch that my hubby made for me stands tall in the corner filled with my dolls from my very first doll, storybook dolls, Ginny dolls, Tony dolls, to more recent purchases.  Another post in the future on this collection.

The cupboard that stood in my Gram's house is still filled with her tea cups.  Occasionally, the wicker rocker, now in my bedroom, would rock right through the glass front...things were a little tight in her dining room too.  I haven't put the table back in its place so this is just a narrow little view of it.

Hubby's little wardrobe stands watch in case the temporary louvered doors into our bedroom, should waver.  We moved our bedroom into the original livingroom and now the livingroom is in the four season porch.  I have the French Doors for this winter project - I hope its this winter!

And last but not least, my Gram's little mahogany hutch that held her prized dishes now resides in my youngest daughter's house along with Gram's table and chairs that match.

So for a year or so, I borrowed a cupboard from the shop and for the Christmas sale it made its way out to the barn.  It was great fun displaying the jewelry and accessories in it.

The bottom of my Granny cupboard managed to get painted in between sales.  Now I have finished the top so Gram's dishes can be moved from the dining room table to their place of honor.  I had to post this - even though I'm not done arranging and decorating my new aqua lovely cupboard!

The bottom of the cupboard used to have bins and hubby made them into doors.  They still need work but we're almost there!  I'm going to look for baskets for the drawer area and if I can't find them, hubby will make drawers. 

Take care,
Bonnie

A Few of My Vintage Quilts...

Today is the first day of real snow at our house.  We probably got 10 inches.  So Mr. J spent a lot of time snow blowing our driveway and of course, a path to the new barn.  I haven't quite wrapped things up in there yet - takes me a while to get back out there after our intense days surrounding our sales.  But it is supposed to warm up this week with Thanksgiving being about 52 degrees!  So that will be very nice for every one who is traveling to a great dinner some place.

A while ago I decided I would feature my vintage quilts on my blog.  So I took a picture of four of them.  I'm not sure that this is the best way to show them but for now I will show you how I display them in my home.

MY hubby makes these quilt ladders and supplies a local shop.  I love them because I can take them out of the quilt cupboard and display them a little better.  It's always good to unfold and refold quilts differently so they don't develop permanent lines that will weaken them.   

I bought all of these quilts on ebay sometime in the early 2000's.  They are all forties quilts except for the red and white one that is a variation of a Red Cross quilt that was given to soldiers returning from WWI by the Red Cross c. 1920.  I'm not sure of the names of the patterns but the red and white is a diamond in a square.  I had this quilt appraised and the appraiser called it an economy patch variation - I like diamond in a square better.

The top quilt is a four pointed star and the fabrics are so interesting - some large prints and others are smaller - visually very interesting.

The third one down on the ladder is some kind of Dresden Plate I think - I can't find it anywhere in my quilt books.  Again the fabric is wonderful and the old green and lavender colors in the appliqued circles are bright and light up a dark room.  I've heard that is why those colors were used.  The lighting wasn't very good in the olden days and those quilts really brightened a room. 

The aqua and white is a nine patch and snowball combination.  This was a top that I bought and had quilted.  The fabric is very crisp and has a bit of a shine like a polished cotton.  My favorite green color - it was called a mint but is a little duller than mint I think.

I will add more quilts to this blog as I research them a little more.  I have to figure out how to hang them up so the whole quilt can be appreciated. 

I do love my quilt collection.

Bonnie

What a difference a day makes...

Yesterday I wrote of the drab countryside but today we are dressed in a beautiful fluffy, white gown!  As long as I don't have to venture out, I'm good with this scene!

No red Barberries to be seen but Old Glory is still waving!

This lump of snow is my little Hello Fall Beaver
featured in yesterday's blog!

 We are tucked in for the night now that we've had at least 7 hours of fine snow at first and then huge flakes most of the afternoon.  We spent a nice day with family - life is good!

Take care,
Bonnie

Hello Winter!

Goodbye Fall!  (My new raised bed!)

Winter is on the way...the clouds are icy gray.  The wind is cold and steady.  Snow is in the forecast for tomorrow.  The yard is empty of everything decorative...no colorful flowers and what is left is beige and brown.  The seed pods of my plants feed the birds this winter.  They eat some and scatter the rest making more plants for the spring.

Found some red barberries and of course, Old Glory lends
 some color into an otherwise colorless landscape.

Now begins the sewing season...and reading and movie season.  While friends take off for warmer climates, I stay here and relish the time indoors where I can create new things and finish those things begun last year or the years before or before that. 

I know that by February I will want out - out of the house - out of the cold - out of my rut.  But until then, I will wallow in my fabric and books and movies.

Hello Winter!  I'm ready!

Bonnie

Two Blogs - Am I Crazy???

I created this blog because my other one Farmgirl Musings...wasn't working.  It still doesn't allow me to preview my post before I publish it.  But I suddenly have lots of readers on that blog.  But I will plunge ahead here until I figure out what I'm doing...or not.

I haven't been posting regularly because I am down to the wire getting ready for our last Farmgirls Country Christmas Sale of the year - yay!!!  Except for making some/most meals and checking my laptop, I am working on projects for the sale.

Ok - so here are a few pictures of what has been going on in the barn.

One of our Snowmen welcoming you to the barn!

A Snowpeople couple made out of salt shakers!

Wouldn't it be lovely to have Christmas dinner on these dishes???

So now its time to call it a day and hit the hay!   This will be my favorite sale with all the twinkle lights, Christmas trees, ornaments, and festive decor but I will be glad to live with less pressure and act like the retiree that I am in just a few more days!!!

Take care,
Bonnie

Making Ornaments!!!

Here I am playing on the computer instead of finishing my projects.  I am so not a morning person and here it is 2:45 p.m. and I'm still not focused on the tasks at hand.

Ok - so here is a sneak peek of things I'm working on for our Farmgirls Country Christmas sale (Nov. 11 and 12).

I found this idea on Pinterest...where I spend way too much time finding fun things to make instead of actually making things!!!  I used vintage wooden spools, strips of music sheets from a very old song book, glass beads, wire normally used in electric fences (good deal at a garage sale!), and diamond dust!

Its just a sneak peek so you can't see the whole ornament.  That would be next week when I finish a whole bunch more projects (I hope, I hope!)

We are having another gorgeous day in MN in early November - 50 degrees and sun!  Yay! 

Gotta go do something - after I check on new ideas on Pinterest!

Take care,
Bonnie

Soup's On!!!

It's a gray day and it just called for soup.  I don't sleep continuously so on a forage through the kitchen at 1 a.m., I decided crackers were in order.  To my surprise I saw a soup recipe on the saltine box.  I love having an idea of what to cook when I wake up in the morning!

So here is my version of Hearty Hamburger Soup -

Ok - this isn't really my soup
 so picture Ditalini pasta mixed in the soup.

1# hamburger

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. olive oil

2 cans (14 oz. each) chicken broth

1 soup can water

1 can (15 oz.) black bean or beans of your choice, rinsed

1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilies)

1 cup Ditalini or pasta of your choice, uncooked
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional but good for you!)

½ cup mozzarella cheese or grated Parm cheese

Cook hamburger, onions, and garlic in oil in large saucepan 10 min. stirring frequently.

Add next 4 ingredients, Bring to boil.  Stir in pasta; cook 8 min. or until tender.  Remove from heat.

Top with cheese.  Serve with crackers.

Servings: 10

I froze a container for those days when I'm not in the mood to cook...probably won't stay in the freezer long.  It was hearty and a new comfort food for us.

Take care and for family and friends out West and East - stay warm and dry!  No snow here - yet!  Hope it waits until our Farmgirls Country Christmas Sale on November 11 and 12 is over.  Check out our Facebook page - Farmgirls Country Sale - for more details!


Bonnie 

Another Fun-filled Day!

Yesterday I posted about our Winterberry adventure thinking that our week was pretty full of challenging stuff.

Today when I got home from Curves and breakfast, I wandered out to the workshop to finish up a nice little orange/brown shelf.  I painted it turquoise.  One coat actually covered pretty good.  The fire was roaring hot in Mr. J's workshop - 85 degrees - about 15 degrees hotter than I like it but hey! the paint didn't freeze. 

I like to paint multiple items when I finally get in the mood to paint so I took my Walmart $7 mistake gallon of paint and went out to paint a few more things the same color before I washed my brush. 

According to decorating gurus, aqua/turquoise is still the color.  It's my color anyway so I picked up a frame and began my next project.  Now I pretty much paint fast and go back in the house.  My back is still spasming (?) so I actually look like a 104 year old as I limp to and fro. 

I use every available flat place to work on stuff.  My latest platform was a piece of plywood balanced on a stool.  So I centered the gallon of paint in the middle and set the frame next to it and proceeded to spill a gallon of wonderful paint all over the dirt.  Darn!

Mr. J came to the rescue again and washed off things that got splattered and I kept painting my frame and a basket, dipping my brush carefully in the paint pool on the ground.

My plan if I liked this color on the shelf was to paint my vintage cupboard that I'm bringing into the dining room for my Grandma's dishes.  But now I only have enough to second coat the shelf.

It's getting into the 30's at night now so we're hoping we can roll up the paint in the morning when its still pretty stiff to prevent more embarrassment for me.  Mr. J can paint a room and not get a speck on himself, the woodwork or the dog.  I wear it and the floor and woodwork always need to be touched up back to their original color.

Will this week never be done??? 

Bonnie

Hunting Elusive Winterberries

It's that time again...time to sneak over to gather the Winterberries I need to make arrangements for the holidays.  People have asked where I get them but I never tell.  They aren't very easy to find so we keep our secret.

We have quite a few types of evergreen on our property so its convenient to take the pruners and collect branches.  Interesting weeds are plentiful - just not on our acreage.  So through the years we've taken our drives to find those lovely red reeds and the scarce winterberries.

The winterberries make each arrangement whether in a pail, sap bucket, coal bucket or basket much more  interesting.

Yesterday Mr. J and I set out to our secret stand of winterberries.  In the past years it has been pretty cold (icy) when we've gone hunting.  This year has been so mild and wonderful that it was to be a new experience.

I've had some back issues lately so Mr. J pulled the truck to the side of the road and said I should just stay by the truck while he headed out to the berries.  It had been a good year - the stand was glowing it was so red with berries.  Yay!

We knew that they were across a ditch that normally was frozen or mostly frozen.  Not so much yesterday.  Mr. J did take preventive measures and wore his rubber work boots.  Pruners in hand he determined he would jump across the water.  Not so good.  I lost sight of him as he said a couple of words he normally doesn't use.  He was in the muck...and so were his boots...stuck in the muck.  This man is pretty finicky about his feet and socks. 

He was able to pull one boot out but the other boot was sucked in deeper when he tried to get the first boot out.  Brother!!! 

Now he would lead a pretty solemn life if it weren't for me.  He was pretty adventuresome in his youth - owning and driving a race car amongst other things to do with snowmobiles.  Now he clings to his books on the couch when he's not in his workshop making something or fixing something for me and our sales.

He huffed and sputtered and did more of the same.  I didn't think he would get his boot out - but he got his foot out of his boot and then couldn't get the boot out of the muck.  Not mud - really stinky muck.

I stifled my humor until he was safely back across the moat.  He thought he might have to walk along the ditch for a half mile but it finally narrowed enough to jump across it - with one boot on and his other foot in a black, mucky sock. 

My hero cut many branches for me before he traversed the moat.  Just another reason I love him! 

When he was back by my side at the truck - I had to laugh and he kinda smiled.  I always say that one of  my goals each day is to make him smile.  What a round about way to achieve my goal yesterday!  Ha!

He stripped on the deck and saved his jeans and sweatshirt but alas the boots went on a trip in the garbage truck this morning.  I was going to suggest that he keep them so I could plant in them next spring but the stench from the stagnant water was too much to bear.

This has been an adventurous week for us.  We've almost made it through - only two more days. 

Take care,

Bonnie